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Writer's pictureVishwanath Akuthota

A Comprehensive Guide to HTTP Status Codes from Vishwanath Akuthota

When you interact with a website, your browser communicates with the web server using a series of requests and responses. These responses often include a three-digit code known as a HTTP status code. This code provides information about the status of the request, whether it was successful, failed, or redirected.


We'll explore some of the most common HTTPS status codes and what they signify.


1xx Information Responses are a category of HTTP status codes that indicate that the request has been received and the server is continuing to process it. These responses are typically used to provide interim information to the client while the server processes the request.


A Comprehensive Guide to HTTP Status Codes

100 Continue

  • Purpose: The server is indicating that the client should continue with the request. This is often used in situations where the client is sending a large request body and wants to ensure that the server is ready to receive it before sending the entire body.

  • Example: When uploading a large file to a server, the client might send a HEAD request with the Content-Length header to determine if the server is ready to accept the file. If the server responds with 100 Continue, the client can proceed with sending the entire file.

101 Switching Protocols

  • Purpose: The server is indicating that it is switching protocols. This is often used when the client requests a specific protocol, such as WebSockets, and the server agrees to switch to that protocol.

  • Example: When a client initiates a WebSocket connection, the server might respond with 101 Switching Protocols and then switch to the WebSocket protocol.

102 Processing

  • Purpose: The server is indicating that it is processing the request. This is a more general response that can be used to provide information about the status of the request.

  • Example: When a client submits a large form, the server might respond with 102 Processing to indicate that it is processing the form data.

103 Early Hints

  • Purpose: The server is providing hints about the response that is being prepared. This can be used to improve the perceived performance of the application by allowing the client to start rendering the page before the entire response is received.

  • Example: A server might respond with 103 Early Hints and include a Link header that points to a preloaded resource, such as a CSS file or JavaScript file. This allows the client to start loading the resource before the main response is received.


Successful Responses

  • 200 OK: The request was successful. This is the most common response you'll encounter.

  • 201 Created: The request was successful, and a new resource was created.

  • 202 Accepted: The request was accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed yet.   

  • 204 No Content: The request was successful, but there is no new content to send.

  • 205 Reset Content: The client should reset the document.

  • 206 Partial Content: The server is returning only a partial response.


Redirection Responses

  • 300 Multiple Choices: The server can generate multiple choices for the requested resource.

  • 301 Moved Permanently: The resource has been permanently moved to a new location.

  • 302 Found: The resource has been temporarily moved to a new location.

  • 303 See Other: The response is a redirection, and the new location can be found in the Location header.

  • 304 Not Modified: The resource has not been modified since the last request.

  • 305 Use Proxy: The client should use a proxy to access the resource.

  • 307 Temporary Redirect: The resource has been temporarily moved to a new location.

  • 308 Permanent Redirect: The resource has been permanently moved to a new location.


Client Error Responses

  • 400 Bad Request: The server could not understand the request due to incorrect syntax.

  • 401 Unauthorized: The request requires user authentication.

  • 402 Payment Required: The request requires payment.

  • 403 Forbidden: The server understood the request, but refuses to fulfill it.

  • 404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found.   

  • 405 Method Not Allowed: The method specified in the request is not allowed for the requested resource.   

  • 406 Not Acceptable: The server cannot produce a response that meets the criteria specified in the Accept header.

  • 407 Proxy Authentication Required: The request requires proxy authentication.

  • 408 Request Timeout: The server timed out waiting for the request.

  • 409 Conflict: The request could not be completed due to a conflict.   

  • 410 Gone: The requested resource is no longer available.

  • 411 Length Required: The request requires a Content-Length header.

  • 412 Precondition Failed: One or more of the preconditions given in the request header fields evaluated to false.

  • 413 Payload Too Large: The server is refusing to process the request because the entity is too large.

  • 414 URI Too Large: The server is refusing to process the request because the URI is too long.

  • 415 Unsupported Media Type: The server is refusing to process the request because the content type is not supported.

  • 416 Range Not Satisfiable: The requested range is not satisfiable.

  • 417 Expectation Failed: The server did not meet the expectations specified in the Expect header.

  • 418 I'm a teapot: The server is a teapot.

  • 421 Misdirected Request: The request was directed to a server that is not intended to handle it.

  • 422 Unprocessable Entity: The server understood the request, but was unable to process it due to invalid data.

  • 423 Locked: The resource is locked.

  • 424 Failed Dependency: The request failed due to a previous request.

  • 425 Too Early: The request was received too early.

  • 426 Upgrade Required: The server requires the client to upgrade to a higher HTTP version.

  • 428 Precondition Required: The request requires one or more preconditions to be met.

  • 429 Too Many Requests: The client has sent too many requests in a given period of time.

  • 431 Request Header Fields Too Large: The server is unwilling to process the request because one or more of the request header fields is too large.

  • 451 Unavailable for Legal Reasons: The resource is unavailable due to legal reasons.

  • 499 Client Closed Request: The client closed the request before the server could finish processing it.


Server Error Responses

  • 500 Internal Server Error: The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.

  • 501 Not Implemented: The server does not support the requested HTTP method.   

  • 502 Bad Gateway: The server received an invalid response from an upstream server.

  • 503 Service Unavailable: The server is temporarily unable to handle the request.   

  • 504 Gateway Timeout: The server timed out waiting for a response from an upstream server.

  • 505 HTTP Version Not Supported: The server does not support the HTTP version specified in the request.

  • 506 Variant Also Negotiates: The server is unable to generate a suitable response because the requested variant is also negotiable.

  • 507 Insufficient Storage: The server is unable to store the request.

  • 508 Loop Detected: The server detected an infinite loop in the request.

  • 510 Not Extended: The server does not support the requested extension.

  • 511 Network Authentication Required: The client needs to authenticate with the network.

  • 599 Network Connect Timeout Error: The network connection to the server timed out.


Debugging with HTTP Status Codes

Understanding HTTP status codes can be invaluable for debugging web applications. When you encounter an error, checking the status code can provide clues about the root cause. For example, a 404 error indicates that the requested resource is missing, while a 500 error suggests a problem on the server side.


Tools for Analyzing HTTP Status Codes

Several tools can help you analyze HTTP status codes and other network traffic. Some popular options include:

  • Browser Developer Tools: Most modern browsers have built-in developer tools that allow you to inspect network requests and responses, including status codes.

  • Postman: A popular API development environment that provides features for making HTTP requests and analyzing responses.

  • Fiddler: A web debugging proxy that captures and analyzes HTTP traffic.


By understanding comprehensive guide to HTTP Status codes provided by Vishwanath Akuthota and using the appropriate tools, you can effectively troubleshoot and improve the performance of your web applications.


Author’s Note: This blog draws from insights shared by Vishwanath Akuthota, a seasoned AI expert passionate about the intersection of technology and Law.


Read more about Vishwanath Akuthota contribution














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